Seven years ago today, I got the best 30th birthday present imaginable: my daughter, Ava. We were born 30 years and 90 minutes apart from one another. I LOVE sharing my March 10 birthday with Ava; it's a connection we'll have for the rest of our lives.

There is nothing like celebrating the day you were born. When I was growing up, my parents always celebrated me and my sisters' birthdays no matter how old we were. To this day, birthdays are a big deal; even more so actually with my two daughters, my niece, and my soon-to-be nephew. So for the first 29 years of my life, March 10 was MY day and no one else's.

That all changed on March 10, 2011.

Ava was originally suppose to arrive on April 1st--April Fools Day--but I guess the joke's on me as she was ready to enter the world three and a half weeks early. I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was a crazy ten and a half hours and Ava was small, but thankfully, she was healthy.

There are plenty of advantages to sharing my birthday with her like getting to plan fun birthday parties. We've done bowling, gymnastics, Scotties Fun Spot, and plenty more. And I get to be a "kid" again on my own birthday too! Plus, people stop asking me my age, because all of THAT focus has shifted to Ava. As for me, I'm forever 29.

The best part though? I get to watch her get excited as we both open presents together. She opens one then I open one and back and forth until they are all opened. It's something special that we will have forever. So this March 10th, I will be making our favorite spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread and sharing our annual "Happy Birthday Ava and Mommy" birthday cake (and playing with all of our presents).

Of course nothing will ever be as good of a present as she was seven years ago. I hope that we do this every year, even as she grows into her 20s and 30s, because March 10 isn't my day anymore. It's ours. And I love it.

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